Autumnal Love
by IAmADangerousMuteLunatic
Summary: Set after final episode of Sarah Jane Adventures, series one. Maria has feelings for Luke, but doesn't know how he feels about her. Luke doesn't know either, so asks for Clydes's help. Rated for slightly sexual thoughts to be on the safe side . LukeMaria


Autumnal Love

Great Minds Think Alike

The earth was beautiful.

That was what Maria Jackson thought when she looked out of her open bedroom window one autumn morning. She was kneeling on her bed and gazing at the scene around her. The leaves on the trees were glorious colours; scarlet, gold, auburn, mahogany, tawny… not just your average red, yellow and brown. The sky was blue – not the rich, bright blue of the sky on a summer's day – today the sky was clear and washed. The sun was shining, casting golden light onto everything it surveyed, and spreading long shadows on the ground. The clouds were thin, and the air was crisp and cold. Maria closed her eyes and took a deep, slow breath of the cold autumn air, a smile forming on her lips.

She looked down onto her street. Children wrapped up warmly in hand-knitted woolly hats, scarves and gloves were collecting the leaves that had already fallen from the trees and throwing them into massive piles. They then proceeded to fall backwards into the leaves, shrieking with laughter. Maria gazed on this vision of beauty, happiness and wonder. She smiled. It was a beautiful day. She thought of something Sarah Jane Smith had once said. _If you're wondering why aliens come to earth so much… just look around you. The earth is a beautiful planet._

'Yes,' Maria said. 'But if only people could keep it that way.' Even as she spoke, she saw a boy showing off to his friends by playing with an empty can of Coke. He was kicking it up in the air repeatedly like it was a football, whilst his friends cheered him on. Maria watched as the boy caught the can with one hand, crumpled it up and, to Maria's astonishment, threw it over his shoulder, even though there was a litter bin just metres away. She leaned out of the window and called to him. 'Hey!'

The boy and his friends looked up at her. Maria continued. 'Can't you see the litter bin? Your rubbish is supposed to go in _there_, not on the street!'

To her dismay, they just laughed at her, and carried on down the road, leaving the Coke can where it was.

Maria sighed. She got up from her kneeling position on her bed and grabbed her jacket. She walked downstairs and called to her father. 'Dad, I'm going out.'

He called back. 'Okay, love. Are you going round to Sarah Jane's? Remember she invited you over there for lunch today?'

Maria hadn't forgotten. 'Yeah, I know. I'll see you later. Bye.' She opened the front door.

'Bye, love.'

Closing the door behind her, Maria once again gazed around her for a few seconds, taking in the beautiful scenery. She hadn't noticed before but the birds were singing. She smiled again, before walking up to the discarded Coke can on the road. She picked it up and threw it into the litter bin, noting that at least someone had done something to keep the earth beautiful that day.

'Hey, Maria!' shouted a familiar voice.

She turned and saw Luke walking out onto the street, zipping up his jacket. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him, as it always did when he smiled. She smiled back and approached him. 'Hey, Luke.'

He grinned back at her. 'Hi.' They had reached each other now. Luke gestured down the road. 'I heard you calling to those boys.'

'Yeah,' she grinned at him. 'It just really annoys me, you know; there was a litter bin right _there_, and he just threw it onto the road. I mean, the earth's so beautiful, but no one seems to want it to stay that way.

'Yeah, I know. The earth is beautiful. Especially at this time of year,' Luke said, looking around him. 'I haven't seen much of the Earth, but I love the autumn.' Maria remembered that Luke had never seen different seasons before, as he was technically only five months old, but he still astonished her with his love of nature. She only wished there were more people like him, and sighed inwardly.

'I love the autumn, too,' she replied. 'It's my favourite time of year.' She thought of the other seasons. 'Along with winter, spring and summer!'

Luke laughed. 'I know what you mean.' He sighed and looked at her. 'I wish there were more people like you,' he said quietly.

Maria looked at him, her pulse speeding up dramatically. Did he know that she had been thinking precisely the same thing about him? 'How do you mean?' she asked.

'Well,' Luke shrugged. 'You're different from other people. I mean, people I've met. I mean –' He sighed. 'What I'm trying to say, is –'

He seemed to have difficulty trying to explain what he meant, which was odd, for Luke, because he always seemed to know exactly what he was talking about. Maria wondered if the reason he couldn't speak properly was… no. It couldn't be. 'What are you trying to say?' Maria asked weakly.

Luke sighed again.

'You've got those like Clyde, and they're friendly and include you in things – normal things, that it seems everyone does, like skateboarding and war games… and they like other things, such as rock music and watching TV but – you're different from them.'

Maria still didn't follow. 'How am I different? I mean, I listen to music and I watch TV…'

'Yeah, I know, but…' Luke's eyes pleaded with hers, willing her to understand. 'What I mean is, I know you do those sorts of things too, but you're different, because… well, you care about other things. Like – like nature, and the health of the world, and you appreciate the little things in life. You're the only person I've met, in the five months I've known life, who cares and thinks about the same things I do. Well, apart from Mum,' he added. He was gazing at her in what seemed like wonder. 'I just wish there were more people like you.'

'Wow, Luke,' Maria whispered. She was speechless, and wondered whether her pulse would ever return to its normal speed. She tried to think of something to say back to him, but her brain had gone on standby. 'You won't believe this, but… earlier on, I was just thinking exactly the same, but about you!'

Luke laughed. 'You weren't!'

'I was! We were talking about autumn and how it's so beautiful and… I know that if I ever said that kind of thing to anyone else –'

Luke understood. 'They'd think you were weird!'

Maria laughed. 'Exactly!'

They both grinned at each other. They were so alike.

Luke glanced back at his house, then back at Maria. He gestured towards it. 'D'you want to come inside? Mum's making lunch.'

'Yeah, sure!' Maria smiled. Luke grinned and offered her his arm. Heart pounding, she took it and they walked along, up the drive to Sarah Jane's house, where the strong smell of chicken casserole was wafting from the kitchen window through the crisp, autumn air.

A Trifle Bizarre

'…but obviously, it was just completely and utterly impractical…' Luke's sentence was lost as a distraction arrived in the shape of Sarah Jane with a large crystal bowl full of sponge, jelly, fruit and custard.

'Pudding, anyone?' Sarah Jane took advantage of the temporary silence.

'Yes, please!' Luke and Maria said in unison.

Setting the bowl down on the table, Sarah Jane smiled to herself. They were so alike.

Helping himself to trifle, Luke carried on the conversation they had just been having. They had been talking about the Krillitanes – an alien composite race which Sarah Jane had once had the misfortune to meet.

'…because, of course, changing the way the entire universe was shaped, and frankly, the whole course and record of time, is just so precarious and so categorically complex, I'm just utterly perplexed as to how they could have become so indomitable to modify it all in the first place!'

Maria nodded. 'I know! And the fact that they were willing to use innocent and naïve children to accomplish the whole cracking the Skasis Paradigm mania is just callous!' Being friends with Luke had widened Maria's vocabulary somewhat. 'And they were increasing their intelligence by feeding them _chips_!'

Sarah Jane put her spoon down, smiling. 'Considering there was such an extensive use of language there, I was half-expecting you to use the words 'French-fried-potato-slices' as a substitute!'

Maria and Luke looked at her, confused. 'What?'

'I only meant that, seeing as you were using lots of long words with complicated meanings I was wondering whether you were going to use one instead of the word _chips_,' Sarah Jane tried to explain.

Eyebrows raised, Luke and Maria turned back to each other. 'Is it feasible for you to comprehend which words were used in the formation of phrases that my mother has hastily joined together in that meagre excuse for a sentence, Maria?' Luke asked.

'I fear it was unattainable for myself to grasp which words were used in the structure of expressions that your mother had rapidly connected together in that insufficient excuse for a sentence, Luke,' Maria replied.

Sarah Jane was completely lost. 'What?'

'We have absolutely no idea what you're talking about!'

The three of them looked at each other, and then promptly burst out laughing.

Sarah Jane attacked her trifle again. 'I must say, though, it was hard for me to understand a word that you two were saying, either!'

With the patient kind of air that one might adopt when explaining that one plus one equals two to a small toddler, Luke spoke to his mother. 'Of course it was, Mum. That was kind of the point of the joke!'

'Ah well,' Maria said, poking her trifle with her spoon. 'I guess it could confuse a stupid person.' Noticing the stern look that flickered across Sarah Jane's face, she gasped. 'Oh, I'm sorry, Sarah Jane! I didn't mean –'

Smiling, Sarah Jane held up a hand. 'It's all right, Maria.'

'It's just a phrase that my dad used to say when someone said something a bit complex,' Maria tried to explain what she meant.

'It's okay, Maria! It's fine,' Sarah Jane smiled.

'Though we were talking about some rather bizarre stuff,' said Luke. 'That's a good word – bizarre.'

'Yes,' Sarah Jane said. She then laughed. 'I used to describe the Doctor as rather bizarre.'

'Of course – he sounds it from everything that you've told me about him, Mum.'

Maria was regarding all of this with a smirk on her face.

'What are you grinning at?' Luke asked.

'It just reminded me of a joke my granddad told me once,' Maria was still smiling. Luke's face brightened.

'Well, go on! Tell us!' Luke looked at her expectantly.

'Okay – once there were two men walking in a desert.'

'Of course – because men are always walking through a desert for one reason or another.'

'Do you want to hear this or not?'

'Okay, sorry.'

'They were walking through a desert, and they were really thirsty, so they were looking for some water.'

'Well, you would be, if you had been walking through a desert –'

'Luke! Will you please stop interrupting the joke?'

'Okay, sorry!'

'They were looking for some water,' Maria waited in case Luke tried to interrupt again. He didn't, so she carried on, 'but they couldn't find any water, it being a desert and all. Though as luck would have it, over the next sand dune, they discovered a market in full swing.'

'Of course, because jokes that make sense are not funny.'

'I'm just going to ignore you now, Luke.'

'No, I'll shut up.'

'Seriously?' Maria looked him in the eye. He nodded.

'Fine. So they went up to the first stall they saw and asked for some water. The guy behind the stall said, "Sorry, I only sell fruit." So then they moved up to another stall, and asked for water, but the stall person said, "Sorry, I only sell jelly." So then the men went up to a third stall and saw that it only sold custard and sponge. The first man turned to the second and said, "This is really weird. What the heck's going on?" So the second guy said, "I know. This is a trifle bazaar."'

A small smile on her lips, Maria watched them closely for their reactions.

After a couple of seconds, Sarah Jane burst out laughing whilst Luke groaned dramatically. 'I should have seen that one coming,' he said, 'what with "bizarre" and us eating trifle…'

'Well, that is what sort of reminded me of the joke,' Maria pointed out.

'That was very good, Maria. Well done!' Sarah Jane was still giggling slightly.

'Though it might have been a bit funnier if Luke hadn't interrupted every three seconds.' Maria frowned at him, though she was smiling. Luke looked a bit sheepish.

'I'm sorry, Maria. Force of habit.'

'Yes, well, you should learn to grow out of bad habits, young man,' Sarah Jane said, ruffling his hair.

'Well, I couldn't help it. There were so many things in it that didn't make sense.'

'That's because it's a JOKE,' Maria explained.

'In that case, it was hilarious.'

Maria covered her face with her hands to hide the grin on her face. When she looked up again it was to see Luke smiling at her. She loved it when he smiled like that. It made the corners of his eyes crinkle up, and he just looked so handsome, she noted. He really was extremely good-looking, on top of being kind, and clever, and funny, and adorable, and attractive…

She felt a tiny flutter in her stomach, and set her trifle spoon down. This was ridiculous – why was she getting so flustered over a boy? Over Luke Smith, even?

_Because I love him._

Maria went rigid. Where had that thought come from? It was ludicrous, she told herself - she was not in love. She was fourteen, for goodness sake! She was too young to fall in love.

_I love him, and I can't deny it._

_Shut up_, she told that annoying voice in her head.

Neither Luke nor Sarah Jane seemed to have noticed the debate going on inside Maria's brain. They were still talking about jokes and what makes them amusing. Luke seemed to be struggling with some concepts of them and Sarah Jane was trying her best to explain.

Maria let all this wash over her. She was still trying to fight against the arguing voice in her head, but was failing miserably. Eventually she succumbed, and listened to her inner-voice, terrified by what she heard, but at the same time, adoring it.

She was in love with Luke Smith.

You Can Run, But You Can't Clyde

'Bye, Maria! See you tomorrow!' Sarah Jane and Luke waved as the young brunette made her way back across the road to her own house. She stopped at her door and waved goodbye back at them before going inside. Sarah Jane shut her front door as Luke made his way back into the living room. He flopped down onto the sofa and sighed deeply.

'What's the big sigh for, Luke?' Sarah Jane said as she sat down in the armchair opposite him.

Luke looked up. 'Nothing.' He sighed again. 'I was just thinking.'

'About what? Something scientific? Or mathematical?'

'No, actually,' Luke looked up at his mother. He was pondering something that confused him greatly, which he thought had something to do with the young girl he had just said goodbye to minutes earlier. 'I was thinking I might call Clyde.'

Sarah Jane was surprised. 'That's a first! It's normally him calling you!'

'Yeah, well, I need to talk to him about something.'

'Something you can't talk about with your mother?'

Luke looked up and saw the care in her face. He smiled. 'Thanks, but no thanks, Mum. I'll speak to Clyde first.'

Sarah Jane put her hands up in mock surrender and got up. 'Okay!' She walked towards the kitchen. 'D'you want a cup of tea?'

'No, thanks, I'll just get straight on the phone.'

'Don't be too long. You know how the little things we do can help save the environment.'

Luke did know. He was reminded by either his mother or Maria or some strange environmentalist person on the television nearly every day.

A cheerful, electronic jingle cut across the television programme Clyde had been watching as his mobile rang. Muting the sound, but at the same time shouting, 'Kick the ball, you useless pile of –!' he located his mobile, and answered it. 'Hello?'

'Hey, Clyde.'

'Hey, Luke! What's up? You wanna go skateboarding?'

'Actually, no. I need some help with something.'

'Oh, right, and you need the En-Clyde-opedia to come and explain it to you?' Clyde smiled jauntily.

'Yeah. Can you come over?'

'No problemo, mate. See you in ten.'

'In ten what?'

Clyde sighed. '_Minutes_, Luke.'

'Oh, right. See you in ten… minutes.'

Laughing, Clyde hung up. He grabbed his jacket and exited the house.

'So, what's the problem, mate?' Clyde asked, as the two young boys sat down in Luke's bedroom.

Luke sighed. 'Can you help me?'

'Sure! Clyde's your man! What is it?'

Luke pondered on the best way to say this. 'There's… there's someone I know…'

'Yeah?' Clyde was grinning broadly.

'… and whenever I see – them,' Luke narrowly avoided the word, 'I feel something… strange.'

The smile was slowly sliding off Clyde's face.

'Is it a girl?' Clyde's question startled Luke.

'Yes. How did you know?'

'Guys don't normally feel strange things about other guys, Luke,' Clyde was feeling a little uncomfortable explaining this – it wasn't the type of thing he had had in mind. But he was Luke's friend, and had promised to try and help whenever Luke was unsure.

'Why don't guys feel about other guys?'

_Oh, my God._ '…We just don't. Guys feel for girls, and girls feel for guys. That's how it works. Unless you're…'

'Unless you're what?'

Clyde shook his head. 'Doesn't matter. I'll tell you some other time.'

'Tell me now!'

'No!' Clyde almost shouted. He saw Luke looked slightly offended. 'Sorry, mate,' Clyde said. 'But we're supposed to be talking about you and your… friend, aren't we?'

Luke sighed. 'Yes, I suppose we were.'

'So what type of… strange things do you feel when you see her?'

Luke contemplated. 'I sort of… get this weird sensation in my stomach.'

'What, like it's done a back-flip?'

'Yes.'

'And what else?'

'My heart starts beating faster, and I just feel really happy when I see her. And… I always feel really excited before I go and see her.'

Clyde was smiling proudly. 'I think you've got a crush, Luke.'

'A what?'

'A crush – it means that you really, really like someone and want to go out with them.'

'Go out… you mean in the way that most people mean, rather than the literal interpretation?'

'Yeah, that.' Clyde was grinning. 'Whoo, a girl! Good on you mate!'

'Thanks,' Luke smiled. 'So… I've got a crush?'

'Yep. So who is she? Is it a girl at school?'

'Yes.'

Clyde grinned. 'Whoa-ho, mate! Who is she? Is she fit?'

Luke looked a bit confused. 'Well, I don't know… she looks pretty healthy.'

'No, _fit_, Luke,' Clyde sighed exasperatedly. It was hard to talk to Luke sometimes. 'Fit as in attractive, as in sexy, as in usually blonde and blue-eyed and thin and with miles of legs.'

'Well,' Luke considered. '_I_ think she's attractive, though I'm not sure about… sexy.'

'Well, does she wear short skirts and low cut tops and high heels and always have her hair down?'

'No, she wears jeans and trainers and denim jackets and normal T-shirts, though not boring ones, they're quite pretty, and she usually has her hair up.'

'Right…' Clyde was trying to figure out if he knew this girl. It sounded vaguely familiar to him. 'What colour's her hair?'

'Sort of… very dark brown, almost black, and curly, and she's got brown eyes and a nice face and she smiles a lot.'

Clyde felt a hollow sensation in the pit of his stomach. 'Oh, my God.'

'What?'

'Does she… Has she encountered aliens before?'

'Yes.' Luke thought that Clyde knew who he was talking about.

Clyde thought he did too. 'It's that girl from Combat 3000, isn't it?'

Luke looked shocked. 'What?!'

'You know; the one who kissed you?'

'No! No way! Does she go to our school?'

'Oh, yeah. No, she doesn't, does she?'

'No.'

'Oh. Right. Well…'

'She lives a bit closer than Brighton. Sort of… across the road.'

Clyde's head shot up. 'Oh, my God.'

'What?'

He looked crestfallen. 'It's Maria, isn't it?'

'Yep.'

Clyde slumped back in his chair. 'Of all the girls you could have fallen for… It had to be Maria, didn't it?'

Luke grinned. 'Affirmative.'

Philosophy and Assessments 

'So, how was it at Sarah Jane's?' Maria's dad came into her room and sat on the edge of her bed.

'Fine.' Maria was playing with a bracelet Luke had given her for her birthday. It was really pretty – pink and lilac stones set in a silver chain.

She remembered the day – after many DVD's and books, a few gift vouchers and a new jacket from various family members, Sarah Jane and Luke had come round for the small party her dad had organised, with a parcel from the both of them.

It was a book. But not just any book – it was about many alien life forms from all across the universe. Sarah Jane had got Mr Smith to write it for her, and had then bound it all together, and wrapped it up in silver paper. Maria remembered the surprise and delight she had felt when she had opened it, and had set about reading it almost straight away.

It had been the best birthday of her life, and she would never forget it.

But the bit she liked best of all was not when Clyde decided to perform a 'special dance for the special babe Maria', which turned out to be absolutely dreadful; nor was it when her mum turned up with a TV/VCR and a 'Sorry I can't stay long, love, but I hope you have a wonderful day' and a kiss – the bit she liked best of all was when Luke had taken her hand and led her to the quiet seclusion of the stairs, so they would not be overheard by the rest of the party.

From his pocket, Luke had taken a small, flat box wrapped in pink tissue paper and tied with a purple ribbon. 'I saw this, and just had to get it for you,' he had said quietly, handing it to her. 'It's not much, but I hope you like it.'

Upon opening, Maria gasped as she saw the bracelet within, displayed on the violet satin lining of the box. 'It's beautiful…' she whispered. She took it out, the breath catching in her throat. 'It's…' she couldn't find the words.

'Here, I'll help you put it on, if you like.'

Luke took the bracelet from Maria and fastened it around her wrist. She liked the touch of his skin against hers.

Maria turned her wrist this way and that, watching the light reflect off the coloured stones. 'Oh, Luke,' she said quietly. 'It's beautiful.'

Luke grinned. 'So, you like it, then?'

Maria looked up at him, smiling. 'I love it.'

She reached forward and wrapped her arms around him. Maria sighed as Luke hugged her back. She breathed in his scent, her heart beating fast as she felt his arms tighten around her…

'Maria?'

Her father's voice brought her out of her daydreaming and she started. 'Yeah, Dad, what?'

'What did you do at Sarah Jane's?'

'Oh,' Maria didn't want to tell her dad about her sudden revelation concerning her feelings for Luke. 'Not much. We had chicken casserole and trifle.'

'Mm, sounds nice.'

'It was nice.'

'Good.' Maria's father tilted his head slightly to one side. 'Is everything okay, Maria?'

'Yes.' Maria turned and smiled at her father. It didn't entirely convince him, but he let the matter rest.

'Okay.' He kissed his daughter and stood up, regarding her for a moment before exiting the room and shutting the door behind him.

Maria turned back to the bracelet. It really was beautiful.

Taking the end of the bracelet, she looped it around her wrist and fastened it. She stretched out her arm, admiring the pink and purple sparkles. She smiled, thinking of Luke.

Clyde had started looking at Luke's bookshelf, whilst Luke sat pondering. He thought back to the day he had woken up, in a factory, with tubes sticking out of him and a mask over his face. That was the first time he had met Maria – the first person he had ever met, in fact, if you didn't count the people that surrounded him in the factory. He remembered his and Maria's first conversation, smiling as he did so.

_Luke turned around a corner, and collided with someone. He was confused as he looked at her – she had a weird expression on her face, he thought._

He realised now that it had been fear.

'_Um, hello,' she said. He tried to repeat what she had said._

'_Um, hel-lo!' he replied._

'_Who are you?' she asked._

'_Who are you?' he repeated._

'_I'm lost.'_

'_I'm lost!'_

Luke grinned. She must have thought he was an idiot.

No, he contradicted. She wouldn't have thought that. That's not like Maria.

He then thought back to when Sarah Jane had 'adopted' him, and he had made his way into her garden where she sat with Maria. They had talked about names for him, and he smiled again as he remembered what he had said.

'_I like your name. Maria.'_

He laughed.

'What's funny?' Clyde asked.

'Nothing… I was just remembering stuff.'

'Was it anything to do with a certain young lady?' Clyde grinned.

Luke sighed, smiling. 'Yes, it was.'

Clyde sat back down in front of him. 'You really like her, don't you?'

Luke sighed again. 'Yes.'

'So, what are you gonna do about it?'

Luke was taken aback slightly. 'Well… do I need to do something about it?'

'Well, what do you want to do with her?' Clyde cringed inside at the crudeness of the question and how his cool mates at school would have penalised him if he had said it to them. But Luke didn't have a sex-filled mind like his friends, so he relaxed a bit.

'Well…' Luke closed his eyes and thought. He imagined Maria being in front of him, and voiced what he felt.

'I'd want to hold her. Wrap her in my arms and breathe in her scent.'

'Yeah…'

'I'd want to touch her; her face, her arms, her hair… I'd want to look into her eyes and see love in them. Love for me…'

Clyde felt tears prick his eyes at the poetry that was in what Luke was saying, and was thankful Luke had his eyes shut.

'I'd want to kiss her. Her lips, her cheeks, her neck… I'd want to hold her, against me, feel her flesh against mine…'

'Wait, you mean… without any clothes in between?' Clyde was beginning to regret his question to Luke.

'Yes. I'd want to feel her skin, stroke it… so smooth and warm…'

'OK, mate, you can stop now…'

'Hold her so close to me… kiss her, need her, _want_ her…'

'OK, OK, OK!' Clyde had raised his voice. Luke's eyes flew open. 'Quite enough detail, thank you!'

'Sorry,' Luke said. He had just got carried away thinking about Maria…

'So, basically, you want to go all the way?'

'All the way?'

'Yeah! You know… like the girls' boyfriends in the magazines.'

'Oh, right. Well…' Luke thought. 'Yes.'

'Oh, my God.' Clyde buried his face in his hands.

'So what should I do?'

Clyde sat up, his hands falling by his sides. 'Next time you see her, smile, go up to her, say hi, _then_ say "I love you, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, you are gorgeous and I love you and will you go out with me?"'

'Are you sure that will work?'

Clyde breathed in. 'Actually, no. You'll most likely get a slap.'

'Great. Thanks.'

Love is a Many Splendoured Thing

'Right, well,' Clyde sat back in his chair. 'We need to do something about your love life.'

Luke nodded. 'Yes.'

'Well, what we need to do is…' Clyde thought.

'Well, what do you do when you want to ask out a girl?'

Clyde put his shoulders back, thinking. 'Normally, I'd flirt with her for a while, then after a bit I'd ask for her number.'

'But I already have Maria's number.'

'Yeah, well, then I would text her for a bit, you know, just, "Hey, how you doing?" stuff, and then once we'd become friends, I'd ask her out.'

'And how would you ask her out?'

'I'd say, "Hey, you want to come to the movies or for a pizza or look around town with me?" and I'd see what she'd say.'

'What type of thing would they say?'

'Probably, they'd start with, "You mean, like a date?" and I'd say, "Yeah," and they'd either say, "Yeah, sure, I'd like to go out with you," or, "Sorry, but I just want to be friends." Or in a worst case scenario, they'd raise an eyebrow and say, "Me? Go out with _you_? Yeah, right!" and she'd laugh at me and all her friends would laugh at me and I'd be completely humiliated.'

'Oh, dear.'

'But that's not going to happen to you, Luke!' Clyde said. 'Maria's not like that. She'd either say, "Sorry, but I just want to be friends," but… I think it's most likely she'll say yes.'

'Really?' Luke's eyes brightened.

'Yeah!' Clyde said. 'Anyway, I've seen the way she looks at you.'

Luke's heart was starting to beat fast. 'How does she look at me?' he asked weakly.

Clyde grinned. 'The way a girl looks at a guy they like.'

'So… does she just _like_ me? Or does she…?'

'Actually, I think she more than likes you,' Clyde said, a sly look in his eye. 'In fact… I think she loves you.'

Luke sat up and forward in his chair, a look of surprise and delight on his handsome face. 'She _loves_ me?!'

'Come on, Luke! Open your eyes! She got dead jealous when that girl at Combat 3000 kissed you. She seriously fancies you, mate!'

Luke was speechless. It was hardly believable. Maria _loved_ him… or so Clyde said. He needed to find out if it was true. He stood up suddenly. 'I need to go see Maria.'

'What for?' Clyde looked confused. 'Mate, you're not gonna…?'

'I'm going to tell her that I love her, and ask her if she loves me too, and if she would consent to being my girlfriend.'

Clyde shook his head. 'She'll slap you…'

But Luke was determined. 'I love you, Maria Jackson,' he said to his door, his hand on the doorknob. He turned it and walked out, leaving a disbelieving Clyde shaking his head.

The doorbell rang. Maria's head shot up. She heard her father yell 'I'll get it!' from downstairs, and he opened the front door. She wondered if it could possibly… no. It couldn't be. It wouldn't be.

'Oh, hello, Luke.'

It was!

Maria gasped, and put a hand over her chest, which was suddenly hammering like a drum roll. Luke had come round to her house. He most likely hadn't come to see her dad, so he must have come to see…

'I've come to see Maria.'

_Oh, my God._

'She's upstairs in her bedroom. D'you want anything to drink?'

'No, thank you. I'll just go and speak to Maria.'

He wanted to speak to her. To tell her or ask her about something. Maria swallowed, her mouth suddenly very dry. She heard Luke climb the stairs. Maria hurriedly tried to tidy her room a little, picking up things on the floor and shoving them into drawers or on surfaces.

There was a knock on the door. 'Maria?'

Hastily looking in her mirror to see if she looked presentable, Maria then sat down on her bed. 'Come in.'

The door opened. She turned and saw Luke come in, a slightly anxious expression on his face. 'Hey, Maria,' he said.

'Hey Luke,' Maria said weakly. 'D'you want to sit down?'

'Uh, no, thanks,' said Luke. He still had a worried look on his face. 'Maria...' he started. He took a breath, seeming to have trouble with what he was saying.

Maria tried to draw breath. It was rather hard, seeing as she had a rather distressed and adorable Luke in her bedroom, trying to speak and somewhat failing.

'Maria,' Luke tried again. 'There's... something I need to tell you...'

'Yes?'

'About...'

'Yes, Luke?' Maria whispered.

'About... about us.' Luke bit his lip, looking anxiously at her.

'Wh...' taking a breath, she tried again. 'What about us?'

She really felt sorry for Luke - he looked so distressed. He looked at her for about 10 seconds, then held out his hand towards Maria, intending that she take it.

She reached out a shaking arm and took his hand. He pulled her up to a standing position, so they were both at the same eye level. He was still holding her hand, and took her other one in his. there was about 3 inches of space in between them.

'Maria...' Luke whispered, his eyes pleading with hers. 'I love you.'

She had died and gone to heaven. Except she was sure that in heaven, your heart rate was normal.

'I love you, Maria,' Luke said again, leaning forward ever so slightly. Their lips were centimetres apart. '...and I always have...' they were millimetres apart now, '...and I always will.'

Their lips were so close now... Maria could scarcely breathe... except now, they were touching. Luke's mouth was pressed against hers.

Fireworks exploded inside Maria's head as Luke kissed her, ever so gently. She couldn't believe it... Luke loved her. And he always had... Luke drew back and looked into her eyes. She stared back at him through glazed eyes.

'Do you love me?' he whispered.

Slowly, never breaking eye contact with him, she reached up and pressed her lips against his. She closed her eyes as she kissed him, her heart beating faster than it had ever beaten in its life. She drew back and looked him in the eyes once more - eyes that were filled with love. Love for her.

'Does that answer your question?' she whispered.

Luke smiled - the suddenness of it made Maria jump slightly. The corners of his eyes were crinkled up, and his eyes were alive with fire. She loved it when he smiled like that. 'Yes,' he whispered. 'I think it does.'

He leaned forward again and kissed her, this time a little more urgently, a little harder. He moved his mouth against hers, coaxing it open slightly, though there was very little coaxing to be done. Maria shuddered with pleasure as his breath came in; his arms were suddenly around her and he held her close; she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back with all the fumbling inexperience she possessed. When they finally drew back for air, he looked at her, and she looked back at him with heart-rending eyes filed with love. Love for him.

They smiled at each other, and Luke looked out of her window. The leaves were falling off the trees, fluttering to the ground, in splendid colours. He sighed. 'The earth's so beautiful. Especially at this time of year,' he said quietly.

She grinned, remembering the first conversation they had had that day. 'Yes,' she agreed. 'It's my favourite time of year.'

Luke grinned back at her, also remembering their earlier conversation. It seemed so long ago - so much had happened since then.

'Yeah,' he sighed, hugging Maria close. She snuggled up to him, resting her head on his chest, looking out of the window with him. 'The earth is beautiful.'

THE END


End file.
